


face to face with the reality of the situation

by soupsalad



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - No Personas (Persona Series), Child Abuse, Dubious Consent, Gen, Power Imbalance, Regret, Strong Language, for a bit, i dont need no fucking phantom theives ill change him myself, its also mentioned, no one fucks in this tho its just discussed, sugimura said fuck this shit, uhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25836916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soupsalad/pseuds/soupsalad
Summary: Sugimura Hates Kunikazu Okumura so much. The man makes him sick, but he is handsome. What starts as a simple vulgar offer to make things easier between him and Haru for Kunikazu's sake devolves into an argument about Kunikazu's Morals and an ultimatum about the state of Sugimura's arrangement to marry Haru. Haru finds out her father's true colors.
Relationships: sugimura/kunikazu okumura
Kudos: 4





	face to face with the reality of the situation

**Author's Note:**

> ok so like pleae dont hate me for this i just rellly hate and love kunikazu and sugimura theyre so garbage my lord. I wanted to show that. you know that theyre garbage. hate em. haru doesnt deverve this shit at all man, im so sorry 4 this. but like here we go, read the tags and b mindful. but also keep in mind theres no fucking going on in the story so. yeah.

"Did you think I would say no?" Kunikazu asks from his spot at the desk. 

The study in his home is rather modern. Stylish and sleek, Sugimura is sure that he chose it himself. The man had an eye for style, unfortunately. He hated to compliment him in any capacity, in his mind or otherwise, but he gave credit where credit was due.

"I didn't think you would say yes so easily," He lies. He could never have imagined the man would agree to something like this. Stern, boring, self-absorbed Kunikazu Okumura agreeing to a proposition like this. It feels like something out of a very badly plotted porno, but in real life.

"Truth be told, I presumed you were...like that," Kunikazu confesses as he straightens out the pile of paper in front of him, admitting his observations awkwardly, not wanting to offend but feeling a bit out of his comfort saying such things. "You're not particularly subtle." He recalls longer than necessary gazes in the direction of men, himself, anything with legs.

He looks up at him, stoic. "Not to say that it's bad. I am simply appreciative that you agreed to the marriage despite that character quirk."

Sugimura scoffs. "You can just call me gay, Okumura." He knows he himself isn't but he knows an old bastard like him probably sees him that way. No need to get into the details. He likes men and that all that's relevant right now.

Kunikazu shrugs. "...Gay." He says it like its the worst thing in the world, like he's on the verge of being sick. 

Sugimura smirks, his discomfort is something he's come to expect of older people and though it stings a bit he takes great satisfaction in punishing this bastard with any displeasure he can offer for putting his poor daughter in this stupid situation.

"Now," Kunikazu starts, folding his hands on the desk in front of him. "What exactly are your terms? The vulgar proposition you made earlier was vague." Pragmatic and collected, treating the conversation like a business arrangement. Sugimura wants to choke him.

Instead, he kicks back his chair a bit, rocking while thinking.

"Hmm...I didn't really have anything in mind when I said that, I didn't think you would say yes so…"

Kunikazu holds up a hand. "By the way, the first half of this conversation still applies, correct? Haru has been talking to me, asking me about calling this deal off due to your aggression.” He hates to admit it again, hates asking for anything, but money and trade can buy anything. If it meant he could buy his way out, it was fine to be a little bold. “When I do this, that will stop, correct?" He couldn’t care less about what the man did to his daughter, truth be told, but it was more convenient that she be happy so he can avoid the issue of her hurting Sugimura or herself in resentment. This was a necessary sacrifice for a smooth ascension into politics.

Sugimura shrugs. "What if it doesn't? Then what, old man? You need me, don't you? Wouldn't it just be in your best interest to do what I say?"

Thin lips in a flat line twitch at the ends, probably ready to frown, but Kunikazu pulls it together. "My question, if you would." He insists. He's got no time for games, his leg bouncing under the desk.

  
  


Sugimura sighs. "Fine. Yeah. I'll stop." He agrees. It's not like he really disliked her anyways. His mistreatment of her was all to make the man hate him enough to call off the deal, but looking now at his devotion to keeping him, he can't imagine he's going to get out of this no matter what he does. 

_ “What a piece of shit, selling your daughter to a scumbag like me,”  _ He thinks. 

"Good." He clears his throat. "You want me to...do that...and in return, you will treat her well? That's our agreement?"

Sugimura shrugs. "You're not being very clear, what are you going to do?" He asks smugly, watching the old bastards face go red.

"...Well, what you said." He offers softly, not really comfortable with the prospect of saying exactly what was going to happen out loud.

"I won't agree unless you say it," he tells him. He knows he doesn't have to bully him this way, but he can't help it.

"If I have sex with you, you'll stop being aggressive with Haru." He states plainly, blurting it out before he has time to overthink and stop himself. "Is this correct?"

Sugimura just nods. 

"...Good. Fine." Kunikazu doesn't look at him, embarrassed. He distracts himself with papers to sign in front of him, anything but the man in front of him.

"...Its kinda sexy, how shy you're acting," Sugimura notes, arms crossed over his chest. It's not. Okumura is an Ok looking man, but he doesn't find anything about him particularly sexy in this moment. "I like shy ones, always more fun to toy around with." Still, he knows how to get under the skin, and he does it as well to this man as he does his daughter.

Kunikazu's hardened expression doesn't waver but his face burns brighter red. "When will we be doing this?" Plain and unaffected, he doesn't think about it.

Sugimura shrugs. "When do you want me?"

"That's not something I have an answer to." Kunikazu insists.

Sugimura shrugs again. He had to put this to an end. As funny as it was to make him say these things, he was sure the man would never actually go through with it willingly. 

_ “Power imbalance.” _ He muses. 

It was fun to watch him squirm, sure, but he couldn't do this in good faith. He had his own morals, some of which he had broken trying to make this man hate him. He can't help but look back on his actions with regret. 

"Fine, not like I was being serious anyway," Sugimura admits expecting a sigh of relief that never comes. No. When he looks up there's a surprising tinge of disappointment in the others' expressions that's quickly replaced with great shame.

"Ah." A dry and disappointed acknowledgment. "Then what can I offer you in return for your kindness? I understand if it simply can't be done, but if there's any way for us to work this out in favor of everyone…" He is disappointed. He had wanted to fix things here and now. No more complaining from his daughter, no more chances of her defecting in the worst-case scenario, Sugimura would behave. He didn't care what the man did to her, but a part of him did care enough to not enjoy the injuries he saw Haru return home with. He could live without them.

Sugimura just grins at him knowingly.

"...Sugimura-san…" it's not an inquiry, he knows, shamefully, exactly what's going through the others head.

"You're also gay." Sugimura chuckles. "Oh, that's fucking rich!" He laughs and Kunikazu sighs into both of his hands.

"I'm not." He groans. "I am not. You're picking up things that aren't there, alright?" 

Sugimura snorts. "Not there? You have to be fucking kidding me!" He points to him, laughing his ass off. "Look at your fucking face! You look like I snatched a rug from under you or something." He scoffs. "Not there." He stands up from his seat and leans over the desk.

"Sugimura-san…"

“Yes?” He sneers.

“Would you like me to tell you the truth?” He asks glaring up at the weasley bitch.

“And just what is that?”

“I'm doing this because I'm sick of what you do to my daughter. It's nothing more, even if I were like that, It would not be enough to make me want you.” And when he's done speaking he returns to his work, leaving Sugimura with his mouth hanging open.

“You son of a bitch,” Kunikazu looks up at him, worried. Had he gone too far? His worries are dashed however when he sees the smile on his face.

“You're the one who handed her off, bitch.”Sugimura spits and Kunikazu's worries come right back tenfold.

“What does that mean?” Kunikazu asks it quietly, harshly, trying not to swear. As angry as he was, his career was still in this man's hands.

“Are you fucking deaf?” Sugimura decides to test the waters a bit. There really is a power imbalance here, he can tell from the look of fear in the other's eyes as he grabs him and pulls him in by the collar. “You handed her off to me, do something about it…” He leans in, nose to nose. “...Bitch.” He can almost see the old man's blood boil under his skin. It's a better feeling than sex.

“That’s what I was trying to do,” He hisses, but he doesn't defend himself, proving Sugimura's theory true, he really could do anything.

“Huh...Bang-up job, Okumura.” He snorts. 

“Is there any meaning to this?” Kunikazu finally asks. “Why are you doing this? You seem to be upset with me despite the fact that you are the one who decided to treat her that way in the first place.”

  
  


Sugimura rolls his eyes. “Because you don't care!” It's frustrating.

“And you do?” Kunikazu asks, throwing his hands up, equally frustrated. “Then what the hell are you doing this to her for!? Stop!” Everyone has limits, he couldn't take this. What kind of fucked up logic did this man have?

“Of course I fucking care!” Sugimura slaps his hand on the desk. “What kind of piece of shit doesn't! What kind of man do you take me for?!”

Kuniazu sighs loudly, covers his face with his hands. “Sugimura-san…”

Sugimura sits back down and scoffs. “Yes? Yes, you piece of shit?” He knows he's in too far. If his father finds out he's talking to Kunikazu like this, he's going to die, so he might as well just keep going.   
  
“I don't understand,” Okumura admits. “I genuinely do not understand what your angle here is.” Kunikazu starts. “What is the point? You say you're a good man, but your actions are vile.” He rests his hands on the table before him, being careful not to slam them. “Do you…” He hesitates to say it, to speak the truth, but the look of disgust from the other for mincing his words goads him on to speak. “...Do you think I like seeing you do this to my daughter?! What kind of man do you take **_me_** for?” He claws into the desk, the feeling of letting out his true thoughts, cathartic. 

“You don't seem to hate it either, how many times has she come groveling to me at your command?” Sugimura stands back up. “You greedy piece of shit, let me do whatever I want and for what? My fucking name? That's your god damn daughter you're putting on the line!”

“Shes doing whats best for the Okumu-”

Sugimura cuts him off. “Shes doing what's best for fucking you, asshole!”

It had devolved into a screaming match now, so loud that Haru just getting back from school could hear it. Was her father safe? She could hear Sugimura yelling, calling him an asshole. Her blood runs cold. Had she done something wrong?

“Father…” She stands paralyzed by fear.

“It _is_ what's best for us!” Kunikazu shouts back.

“Yeah! Haru is pretty well off, isn't she? I can make her my fucking whore and beat her around as much as I want while you get to go play prime minister!” He can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. How low can one person be? “Hey, I have a new Idea,” He's suddenly not screaming anymore and Kunikazu knows he doesn't like the look in his eyes. Still, he wasn't yelling which meant he could stop as well.

“What?” He snips. “What do you want?” He wipes the sweat from his brow.

“I think I had an idea, something really fun,” He leers. “Say no…” He smirks, but his expression drops flat and cold. “...Say no and the deals off, I'm out, my father is out.”

Kunikazu’s heart just about stops. “What do you-”

“I want you to punch your daughter in the jaw like I do, just once,” He chuckles. “You're probably not above that to get what you want, right?”

“You…” He still has his limits, he can't agree.

“Me.” Sugimura sings songs.

“You can't be serious!” He complains. “You're the one arguing in her defense! Why the hell would you ask me to do such a thing if you think I am so horrible? Does this kind of order just not reflect on you?” He can't imagine it.

“I just want to see your answer,” Sugimura admits smugly, sitting back down. “I wanna see how you handle this.” He sighs, content. “By the way, if you answer in any other way than clocking your bitch daughter in the jaw, I'm calling off the arrangement so…” He waves at him. “Pick wisely!” He says it in a cheerful tone just to mock the other, watching him seethe.

“This is…” Kunikazu starts through grit teeth. There's no way of looking good here, he could punch her or lose everything. If he said yes, things would go his way but he would be at Sugimura’s mercy, proving the others' assessment of his depravity true. If he said no, Sugimura would walk out forever and he would be right back at square one.

“...Maybe I am gay, is that what this is about? Are you angry because I said I didn't feel anything for you?” Kunikazu asks frantically. “Is that what you want?” He's panicking. “I’ll do what you ask, I’ll grant you any favor you ask of me but…”

“But not that, right?” Sugimura shakes his head. “You disgust me.” He stands up from his seat and shoves his hands in his pockets. 

“Fine!” Kunikazu shouts, worried that his standing meant he was leaving. “Fine! I’ll call her in, are you happy?” He slams his hand on the desk, fighting back tears of frustration and fear.

Sugimura just chuckles and sits back down. “Fine, call her in, I heard the front door a minute ago.” He kicks back and relaxes, wallowing in his hatred for this man. It's satisfying in the way that a horror movie is, watching people die and being uncomfortable for the sake of entertainment. He hates it, but he keeps looking because there is merit to the father's words.

“You say you're a good man, but your actions are vile.” And it's true, they are, there's no denying that. He calls the moment as he watches Okumura call for his daughter penance and lets it happen. She deserved better than what he had given, he was not innocent in this.

Haru steps into the study after a terrifying call with her father. He sounds angry, in a way shes never heard him. This call and the screaming from earlier does nothing to set her mind at ease.

“Father…” Her head is lowered, she tries to appear small and apologetic. She knows what it takes to keep him calm. Looking helpless gets you mercy, usually. No serious scolding.

“Haru,” He says her name with such venom her eyes start to water. 

“I'm…” She doesn't even apologize, she can't look at him. It's terrifying, his eyes red from crying, his grit bared like an animal ready to strike. She doesn't recognize this man as her father at all.

“Well?” Sugimura says gesturing to his daughter. “Get one with it. Right in her jaw. If you don't leave a mark, I'm out of here.” He says cheerfully. “Haru,” When he says her name with such ire it's a familiar sound. “Get over here,” He snaps and she does as she's told, slowly, fearfully.

  
  


On her way over, however, she stops, finally processing what Sugimura had said. 

“A-a mark!?” Haru backs up, self-preservation kicking in despite the two most commandeering men in her life being in one room. “Father, what...what are you going to do?”

Its the fear in her voice that gets him. He cant look at her, the previous will to attack having drained from him now that he was standing face to face with her.

“...Father…” Her lips tremble, and the rest of her follows suit. It's a sight that is more poignant than he could have anticipated.

Sugimura watches in silence, waiting to see what he would do next.

Kunikazu grits his teeth. “...Come here…”

“Father,” She's sobbing now, she had held in her tears each day. Never showing them to her father, but now with nothing else to turn to she lets them fall freely. She cants just march over to let him do this, not her father.

“Get it over with, punch your stupid little daughter so I can get back to talking about the details of our arrangement.” The words do exactly what he had hoped they would. She sobs harder with the truth of the situation in front of her.

“...It won't be necessary.” Kunikazu finally says, looking down at his desk. “Get out of my home.”

Sugimura gets up and heads for the door.

“You know, this means I-” Sugimura begins but Kunikazu cuts him off.

“Get out.”

Sugimura grins from ear to ear knowing well his own fathers going to choke him to death for this.

* * *

Okumura Foods improves quickly.

Sugimura sits in his home with a bag of ice over his black eye reading the news of the sudden rise in morale among Okumura food employees.

“Better than ever,” the article title reads. He has to laugh. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> you know. I kinda like the idea of writing situations where the problems in persona 5 are solved by normal means....perhaps ill do something more. Madarame??


End file.
